Duffel bag



Sept. 2, 1941. F. J. O'BRIEN DUFFEL BAG Filed Aug. 29, 1940 PatentedSept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUFFEL BAG Frank J. OBrien,Pelham, N. Y.

Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,754

2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to luggage or baggage equipment andprimarily seeks to provide a novel form of duffel bag which can readilybe collapsed to a fiat condition to permit folding or rolling andout-of-the-way storage, or placement in another container or piece ofluggage, and which can readily be set up into condition for carryingclothing, sports equipment or other materials customarily placed in suchknockabout luggage.

An object of the invention is to provide a bag of the character statedwhich is formed of flexible blank material formed so that it can lieflat, and which includes end and body portions including edges which canbe brought together to form base, side, end and top portions, and zippermeans for securing said edges in bag forming relation and releasable forallowing a collapsing of the bag portions to the flat blank condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible duffel bagof the character stated in which the zipper means are so arranged that asingle lock can be used to lock the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible duffel bagof the character stated in which the zipper means effective to join theside and end edges at each end of the bag are mounted inside andaccessible only inside the bag, and the zipper means effective to jointhe side portion edges along the topare mounted outside the bag, therebyto enable locking of the bag by a single lock eifective to secure saidsingle outside zipper means.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by followingthe detailed description, the appended claims, and the several viewsillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the bag in the collapsed orflattened out condition.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view illus-- trating the endextremity of the bag at which the lock is positioned when in lockedcondition.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the other end of the bagand illustrates a partially separated condition of the meeting edges ofthe bag.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, theblank from which the colrectangular base or bottom portion 5, anintegral side extension 6 projecting from one major length edge thereof,and an integral side extension projecting from the other major lengthedge thereof, Ends respectively designated 8 and 9 also projectintegrally from the minor length edge portions of the rectangular baseor body 5, and these each include inwardly and upwardly converging upperedge portions I0 which merge into a short top or terminal portion IIdisposed parallel to the bottom or base when the bag is set .up in themanner illustrated in Figure l of the drawing.

When the bag is being set upas illustrated in Figure l, the flexiblematerial of which the bag is composed, preferably thin leather, leathersubstitute, canvas, or the like, is bent up at the major and minorlength edge portions of the base, as at I2, to dispose the side portions5, 6 and the end portions 8, 9 uprightly with respect to the base orbottom 5. In order to cause the sides 6 and I to conform to the edgeshape of the ends 8 and 9, said sides are bentat I3 to conform to theupwardly and inwardly converging edges II! of said ends, and as at I4 toconform to the horizontal top or terminal edge portions I I.

While it is preferred that the bag endsbe formed in the mannerillustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, and ashereinbeforedescribed,

it is to be understood that the ends may be round or triangular in shapeif a generally cylindrical, or

a triangularly shaped bag should be desired,

Where the edges of the sides and ends meet at the base, they areextended a short distance into the base in curved relation, as at I5, asis best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The

meeting edges of the side and end portions of the,

bag define the shape of the bag in combination with the bend lines I2,I3 and I4 hereinbefore described, and these meeting edges have zipperstrips I6 attached thereto in'the manner illustrated inFigures l and 2of the drawing.

The bag-forming and securing zipper equip ments of which the strips I6are a part include the usual zipper stops I! at the upper terminals ofthe side and end meeting edges inthe manner best illustrated in Figures3 and '4, and these zipper equipments also include the usual zippers I8or securing slide s, one thereof being provided at each side of eachendof the bag. Each such cooperating pair of zippers I8 are adapted to seatat the terminal portions of the side and end meeting edges which extendinto the base in curved relation'at I5 when the bag is intheflatlapsible bag is made up is shaped to comprise a tened positionillustrated in Figure 2, and to come together over the end terminalportions 1 I when the bag is set up as illustrated in Figure 1 of thedrawing.

The zippers [8 include the usual pull elements I9 and are disposedinside the bag when it is in the set up position illustrated in Figure1,

thus being inaccessible from outside the bag zipper member 22. .Thezipper etiuipn'ier'it for the meeting edges of the sides or the mainopening of the bag is of the type which enables complete separation ;ofsaid opening edges, this being necessary to permit the bagv to beentirely collapsed into the fiat as illustrated in Figure 2..

The zipper element 22 includes a pull extension 23, preferably a chain,which may extend over the end of. the bag when the zipper hasbeen drawn-to the position for closing and securing the :mouth of the bag formedby themeeting edges 'of thesides 6 and .l, and this extension may carrya lock 24 at its end which maybe applied toa keeper member 25 secured tothe end 9, in the manner illustrated in Figure '1,

thereby to secure the whole bag against unauthorized entry.

' JAt the end of the bag opposite that at which the zipper 22 ispositioned in Figure l, separable elements 26 are fixed to the cornersof thesides band 9 in the manner illustrated in Figure 4;. when itdesired to separate these ends in order 'to flatten out the bag, thezipper member' 22 can ride downonto one of said elements 26 in themanner illustrated in Figure 4, and the insert portion 21 of the otherelement which is mountable in and withdrawable from "the receivingslotway 28' formed in the zipper 22 and the slotwaye'xtension 29 in theelement 2t can-be removed from said slotway's 28 and" 28 in the mannerillustrated in'said Figure f1.

"Anyform of separable zipper structure can be employed, and-the specificstructure22, 26 29 is but an example 'of such separable equipment. This;particular equipment is disclosed in the U. 5. Letters Patent issuedtoM. Kiessling'et al. 2;19,608,on August 15, 1939;

' Whenfthe bag is in the fiat condition illustrated in Figure2 of thedrawing it can'be rolled up or folded, and placed in a bag, or in adesk, or many convenient storage place where it will consume a minimumof space.

When it is desired to use the bag, the zippers" [B then resting in thecurved terminals l5 formed by the inwardly curved meeting edges of thesidesand ends 6,1, 8, '9 in the base or'bottom 5 are"drawnupwardly'alongthe "zipper? strips 16:

at the corners of the bag, thereby drawing the bag, dorner by corner,into the condition illustrated in Figure 1-.' The bag is then filledthrough a the operrmouth defined by the meeting edges of the s'id'esBand "I, and-then the insert-portion- 2-l-bt the'ele'ment 26 isinsertedinto .the"zip-:

'er element receivingslotways 28, 29, "after which the zipper z-zcan bedrawn al'ong thezipper strips 20 to close thebag in the mannerillustrated in Figure'l. When the bag ''mouth is thus closed the rfzip'pers l 8 are inaccessible because they are within the bag, and if itis desired to lock the bag the lock 24 is applied to the keeper 25 andthe single lock 24 will secure the whole bag against unauthorized entry.

It is to be understood that the zipper members l8, l9 hereinbeforereferred to preferably are of the clamp-locking type well known in theart, that is the type which is automatically clamped against slidingmovement whenever the pull elements are laid flat against the zipperslide members as shown, in dotted lines in Figure 3. This type of zipperelement is so well k nown in the art that additional description andillustration thereof is thought to be unnecessary. Obviously, when thesezipper members are brought to the position illustrated in Figure 3 andthere clamped by fiat positioning of the members! from within the bag,sliding movement cannot be imparted to the zipper members from withoutthe bag.

While it is preferred that the "zipper members l8 be placed so thattheir pull members are accessible within the bag only, so that the wholebag can be secured by a single look as hereinbefor'e' described, it willbe obvious that these ,zipperf. members can be placed so as to beaccessible outside the bag if desired. When these elements are placed sothat the pull members are accessible outside the bag, provision can bemade for locking the bag with two locks instead of one as previouslydescribed. In this adaptation of the invention thepchain 23 attached tothe zipper memberi22 can be passed through apertures in the pull membersof the zipper elements 18 and then lock-secured to the keeper member 25.It is to be understood, of course, that a similar locking chain would bepassed through the pull members it at the opposite 'end of the bag.

The term duffel bag hereinused is not to be considered an intentionallimitation as to the form or kind of bagsince the invention relates tothe specific collapsible nature of the bag and not to any particularform or shape of the bag or the kind of material employed in itsmanufacture.

It is, of course, to be understood that the details of structure andarrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention provided they'comewithin the scope of the claims;

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters- Patent, is:

1, A one piece duffel bag of foldable material comprising a bottomportion, side and end members all integral therewith, said end membershaving theedges thereof extended upwardly from the bottomami converginginwardly toward each other at theupper end, the side members havingedges lying in parallel planesand dimensioned so as to extend along theedges or the ends in 'abu'tted relation thereto and meet centrally atthe top portion of the ends in abutted relation, a plurality'ofindependent zipperequipments for joining the adjacent edges of the sidemembers and enq' members, the manipulating devices for the zipperswhenlthe side and end members are joined being disposedat the topportion of the sidemembers, said side and end meeting edges beingextended into the bottom to enable the side anden'ds when'separated tolie flat relative tothe bottom and an independent zipper equipment 7fonjoining the adiacentedges of the side members;, said last'namedzipper equipment being separable 'throughout the whole length of themeeting edges whereby the end members and side members may bedisconnected from each other and folded for storage.

2. A one piece duffel bag of foldable material comprising a bottomportion, side and end members all integral therewith, said end membershaving the edges thereof extended upwardly from the bottom andconverging inwardly toward each other at the upper end, the side membershaving edges lying in parallel planes and dimensioned so as to extendalong the edges of the ends in abutted relation thereto and meetcentrally at the top portion of the ends in abutted relation, aplurality of independent zipper equipments for joining the adjacentedges of the side members and end members, the manipulating devices forthe zippers when the side and end members are joined being disposed atthe top portion of the side members, said side and end meeting edgesbeing extended into the bottom to enable the side and ends whenseparated to lie fiat relative to the bottom and an independent zipperequipment for joining the adjacent edges of the side members, said lastnamed zipper equipment being separable throughout the whole length ofthe meeting edges whereby the end members and side members may bedisconnected from each other'and folded for storage, said manipulatingdevices for the zippers at each corner being disposed on the interior ofthe duffle bag so as to be concealed within the bag when the meetingedges of the side members are closed by the zipper equipment therefor.

FRANK J. OBRIEN.

